Anti-graft police asked the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) Monday to investigate seven more temples suspected of involvement in a development fund embezzlement scandal.
Three of the seven temples are in Nonthaburi, two in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, one in Udon Thani and another in Lamphang. These seven temples are part of the third crackdown on the embezzlement of temple funds. They are suspected of siphoning money allocated for Buddhism schools.
Last Thursday, Pongporn Phramsane, chief of the National Office of Buddhism, filed a complaint with police against three temples in Bangkok. According to a well-informed source, police forwarded these cases to the NACC. Since last year, the Counter Corruption Division (CCD) has also forwarded 12 cases from two previous rounds of probes into several temples in upcountry provinces.
The scandal, in which fraud involving millions of baht has been uncovered, allegedly involves state officials, civilians and monks.
The temples are accused of taking part in what is called a "change money" scheme. This is when state officials grant fund money to the temples but in return ask them to return part of that money to their private accounts.
Five senior monks at three temples in Bangkok have already been implicated in this latest crackdown. Three of them sit on the Sangha Council, the monastic governing body.
They are Phra Phrom Dilok, abbot of Wat Sam Phraya; Phra Phrom Methee, abbot of Wat Samphanthawongsaram and chief monk of the 4th-7th regions; Phra Phrom Sitthi, the abbot of Wat Saket and chief monk of the 10th region; as well as Phra Methee Sutthikorn and Phra Wichit Thammaporn, both assistants to the Wat Saket abbot.
The NACC has been asked to look into the accusations against the five monks. However, NACC chairman Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit said Monday the evidence is "incomplete".
Pol Gen Watcharapol said that the investigation team at the CCD was given only 30 days to examine the money trails from those five temples. The NACC will be given another six months to undertake a more thorough probe.
"The NACC needs clear information on budget spending as well as money trails. The investigation must proceed with extreme caution because this case involves important figures," Pol Gen Watcharapol said.